PhD Programs

The research labs at Ecole des Ponts ParisTech are a training ground for many PhD students. In 2016, 109 doctoral theses were submitted and defended at the School in Association with Paris-East University, and at the beginning of 2016, Ecole des Ponts had around 476 PhD students in its laboratories.

PhD Programs

In PhD research, the School’s policy is to foster access to excellence through Doctoral Schools (ED) affiliated with the laboratories. As part of its site policy, the School has delegated the management and award of PhDs to Université Paris-Est (UPE). Eight of the School’s laboratories participate in four of UPE’s doctoral schools: VTT - City, Transportation, and Territories, SIE - Sciences, Engineering, and Environment, MSTIC - Mathematics and ICT, and OMI - Organizations, Markets, Institutions. In this context, an École nationale des ponts et chaussées PhD candidate (ENPC candidate) is considered to be anyone preparing their PhD in one of the School’s laboratories, and registered with one of the four doctoral schools. However, the educational capacity of young researchers in all the laboratories is extended to the ED: PSE - Panthéon, Sorbonne, Economics, HESS - Higher Studies in Social Sciences, AAIDF - Île-de-France Astronomy and Astrophysics, SMEMaG - Mechanics and Energy Sciences, Materials and Geosciences, and SEIF - Ile-de-France Environmental Sciences. Around two thirds of PhD candidates are registered in UPE’s doctoral schools.

The School and AgroParisTech share the administration of the PhD Education Committee for IPEF (state certified public works, water, and forestry engineers). This body, in particular its office, which is the office of the School’s Director of Research, is responsible for supporting IPEF engineers throughout their PhD training: project development, candidate interviews, assessment for the IPEF Career and Validation Committee, thesis support, administrative backup, help in finding a second position.

Doctoral Schools

the “Sciences, Engineering and Environment” Doctoral School (SIE) is a multidisciplinary institution primarily covering physics, mechanics, chemistry, geosciences, environment sciences, and life sciences. It encompasses both fundamental and applied research, theoretical, digital, or experimental, with the primary objective of tackling major societal issues such as energy, in particular renewables, new materials, innovative structures, and questions relating to environmental quality. It is the doctoral school to which the CEREA, HM&CO, LEESU, LHSV and Navier laboratories are attached.

the “City, Transportation, Territories” (VTT) Doctoral School is a significant component of the Université Paris-Est Community’s “City, Engineering, Environment” unit and draws on this scientific dynamic to offer PhD candidates thesis topics that are both scientifically innovative and at the interface with the professional world. This Doctoral School is unusual in its positioning, since it is the only one that explicitly makes the theme of the city, transportation and territory its central concern. It is the doctoral school to which the LEESU, LATTS, LVMT, and CIRED labs are attached.

The “Mathematics and ICT” (MSTIC) doctoral school primarily covers two major scientific fields: mathematics at its purest (analysis, algebra, geometry…) through to applied mathematics (probability, statistics, scientific calculus…), and information and communication science and technology (signal and image processing, IT, automation, diagnostics…) in which there is a significant overlap with the field of mathematics. It is the doctoral school to which the CERMICS and LIGM laboratories are attached.

The “Organizations, Markets, Institutions” (OMI) doctoral school embraces the research themes associated with economics and management, law, political science, sociology, and philosophy. It develops the synergy between these different topics around two main focal areas, market operations and the dynamics of people and organizations. It is the doctoral school to which the LATTS laboratory is attached.

The Paris-Jourdan Economics Research Unit, within the framework of the Paris School of Economics, and the ETAPE no465 PhD program at the Panthéon-Sorbonne Economics Doctoral School gives priority to the mastery of economic methods and tools, and on this basis trains specialists in a wide spectrum of fields in both macroeconomics and microeconomics.

PhD researchers at the CIRED Mixed Research Unit work within the “Agriculture, Biology, Environment, and Health” (ABIES), “Paris-Ouest Economics and Mathematics” and “the EHESS “Social Sciences” Doctoral Schools;

PhD researchers at the LMD mixed research unit work within the “Ile de France Environmental Sciences” and the Ecole polytechnique Doctoral Schools.